Berkeley Witnesses Unveiling of English Poetry Book “The Dream We Had Together”

A remarkable poetry compilation titled ‘The Dream We Had Together’ authored by Dhruva Thapa, a distinguished poet, writer, editor, and recipient of the Nepali Literary Journalism Award, was formally introduced on Sunday, July 12, 2015, at Hs Lordships restaurant in Berkeley, California, USA.

The unveiling of this poetry anthology coincided with the joint inauguration event of the local Lions Club chapters of Berkeley Annapurna and Fremont Sagarmath. This momentous occasion was graced by Denny Grotrian, the Past District Governor of Lions Club 4C3, who inaugurated the clubs. During the same event, Mr. Thapa was inaugurated as the President of Lions Club Berkeley Annapurna and was honored with the “Lion of the Year” award for his devoted community service.

Comprising a selection of 40 English poems penned during his sojourn in the United States from 2002 to 2015, the poetry anthology showcases Thapa’s artistic prowess. Notably, Thapa is also known for being the published author of “Taste of the Himalayas” cookbook, the Nepali poetry book “Dhruva Thapaka Geet Ra Kabitaharu,” and the songwriter for the Nepali Songs collection “Ultimate Target.” Furthermore, he has contributed his editing skills to numerous magazines, souvenirs, and yearbooks for Nepalese organizations in Nepal and the USA.

The book was printed through the collaborative efforts of the Bay Area Alternative Press, a privately-funded volunteer-based printing house. The book’s design was undertaken by Nate, while Crystal handled the editing, and the printing was executed by a group of volunteers. The cover art was conceptualized by Yogesh Dhakal. Thus, the book is a testament to collective endeavor and stands as an experimental poetry work of its unique kind.

The volume features insights from three prominent writers and educators: Tika Lamsal, Ph.D., from the Department of Rhetoric and Language at the University of San Francisco; Govinda Giri Prerana, a Nepalese author and poet; and Jim Hughes, Ph.D., a writer and teacher consultant affiliated with the Bay Area Writing Project. One such excerpt from Jim Hughes reads: “… Reading the poems of Dhruva Thapa is being in the presence of a great heart – one just, generous, and sympathetic. One of his most powerful poems is about serving in the revolution. Sadly, he discovers that once they had won the war, the same suffering and injustices returned…. But he never gives up hope: ‘I am waiting for the moment / When the day passes / Without alarming the night…’—Jim Hughes, Ph.D., Writer and teacher consultant, Bay Area Writing Project.”

Similarly, Dr. Lamsal lauds Dhruva Thapa’s poetic collection as a significant addition to the landscape of Nepali Diaspora Literature in North America.

Following the unveiling, Dr. Denny extended his best wishes to poet Dhruva for his dual roles as the President of Lions Club Berkeley Annapurna and as the author of his own English poetry collection. Poet Thapa pledged that the proceeds from the book’s sales that evening would be donated to earthquake victims in Nepal. Attendees of the event were keen to purchase the book and have it personally signed by the author.

Poet Thapa further announced that the book would soon be available online. However, before that, it could be obtained with a personalized signature from the poet during the special literary event of the 202nd Bhanu Jayanti celebration in San Francisco. This event, organized by the Nepali Association of Northern California (NANC), is dedicated to honoring the birth anniversary of Bhanu Bhakta Acharya, the first Nepali poet to translate the epic “Ramayana” from Sanskrit to Nepali. Bhanu Bhakta Acharya was born in the quaint village of Chundi Ramgha in the Tanahu District of Nepal. For more details about the book, interested individuals are encouraged to visit Thapa’s personal website: http://www.dhruvascreation.com.